Bose–Einstein condensation of dressed photons in a nonlinear optical microcavity

Abstract

Bose–Einstein condensation (BEC) of dressed photons in a Kerr nonlinear optical microcavity is investigated. Our experimental scheme is based on an optical microcavity filled with a Kerr nonlinear nonpolar crystal. The pump photons interact with the Raman phonons in the crystal and hence are converted into new quasiparticles, which we refer to as dressed photons. A dressed photon is a photon dressed with a cloud of virtual transverse-optical phonons. The first main finding is that two-dimensional (2D) dressed photons have an increased inert mass. The second main finding is that the lower cutoff frequency of a nonlinear optical microcavity becomes larger. The third main finding is that the incident laser intensity is a moderate laser intensity ([Formula: see text]10[Formula: see text] W/cm2). The fourth main finding is that the critical optical power of a nonlinear optical microcavity is increased. The fifth main finding is that the radiation emitted by 2D dressed photons has an ultrahigh intensity.